Air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus

ABSTRACT

An air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus comprises a hollow tube used for delivering warm and humid air and is wrapped by a heating device on its outer peripheries. The heating device includes a first connecting member and a second connecting member, where the first connecting member is disposed at one lateral side of the heating device while the second connecting member is disposed at another lateral side of the heating device for attaching the heating device to the outer peripheries of the tube. Air in the tube is heated by means of a heating element within the heating device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a humidifying apparatus and, more particularly, to an air delivery pipe used in a medical humidifying apparatus having a tube wrapped by a detachable heating device on the peripheries of the tube.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Humidifying apparatus is used widely in an intensive care unit or a respiratory intensive care unit of a hospital for supplying air to patients of acute surgical operation or of chronic respiratory diseases.

Generally, a humidifying apparatus comprises a chamber, on which are disposed with an air inlet hole, an air outlet hole, and a water inlet hole. After air and sterile water are delivered respectively via the air and the water inlet holes, warm and humid air is generated by a heating device. Then the warm and humid air is delivered from the air outlet hole via an air delivery pipe to patients.

The preferable temperature range of the warm and humid air mentioned above is about 34° C.˜39° C. while the temperature in an intensive care unit is usually preset at 21° C.˜22° C. Thus, during the warm and humid air is delivered in the air delivery pipe, the temperature of the warm and humid air may be reduced and vapor may condense on the outer peripheries of the pipe. This problem can be solved by increasing the temperature of warm and humid air in the container to compensate difference temperature during delivery. However, by increasing the temperature of warm and humid air in the container, the problem of water by the vapor condensation still exists. Besides, when the temperature of warm and humid air is increased, the amount of sterile water and the cost are also elevated correspondingly.

In order to overcome the above problems, U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,051 discloses an air delivery pipe having heating wires therein for heating air directly in the pipe. However, this structure will render the warm and humid air swirling and will fail to fluidly delivering the warm and humid air to patients. However, exposing the heating wires to the warm and humid air is also a dangerous potential.

Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 7,120,354 discloses another air delivery pipe having heating wires surrounding the outer peripheries of the pipe. The heating wires and the pipe are integratedly manufactured, so that the heating wires wrap the pipe entirely. By this designed structure, the problem of water by the vapor condensation is solved, the temperature of the warm and humid air can be maintained during delivery, the swirling of the warm and humid air is prevented, and safety is guaranteed. However, the cost will be elevated as a result of integrating the heating wires and the air delivery pipe. When the air delivery pipe is damaged to cause air leakage, it is not economic to replace the whole pipe together with the heating wires in order to meet the requirement of medical quality.

In order to overcome the shortcomings mentioned above to maintain the temperature of the warm and humid air in the air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus, to decrease the consumption of the sterile water, and to render the heating device detachable for reducing the cost, the inventor had the motive to try and develop the present invention after hard research.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an air delivery pipe, wherein a tube is wrapped by a heating device on the outer peripheries of the tube for maintaining the temperature of warm and humid air within the pipe delivered to patients.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air delivery pipe, wherein a tube is wrapped by a detachable heating device on the outer peripheries of the tube, so that a damaged tube can be directly replaced and the cost reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air delivery pipe, wherein a heating device is disposed with a transparent cover for checking the status of the warm and humid air delivered in the tube.

In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides an air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus comprising a tube and a heating device. The tube is used for delivering warm and humid air. The heating device includes a first connecting member and a second connecting member and the first connecting member is disposed at one lateral side of the heating device while the second connecting member is disposed at another lateral side of the heating device for attaching the heating device to the outer peripheries of the tube. The heating device is disposed with a heating element therein for heating air in the tube.

In practice, the heating device is preferably provided with a transparent cover.

The following detailed description, given by way of examples and not intended to limit the invention solely to the embodiments described herein, will best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a using-state diagram of an air delivery pipe of the present invention used in a humidifying apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 2 along A-A′ line.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a using-state diagram showing an air delivery pipe 1 of the present invention used in a humidifying apparatus 9. A humidifying apparatus 9 comprises a container 91 and a heater 92. An air inlet hole 911, an air outlet hole 912, and a water inlet hole 913 are provided on the container 91. When dry air is delivered from a main station 93 to the container 91 via an air inputting pipe 94 and the air inlet hole 911 while sterile water is delivered from a supply bag 95 to the container 91 via the water inlet hole 913, the container 91 is heated by the heater 92. The vapor generated from the sterile water is mixed with the dry air to form warm and humid air, which is delivered to patients via the air outlet hole 912 and an air delivery pipe 1 of the present invention.

The tube is made by plastics, preferably EVA or Hytrel, and is a flexible and hollow tube used for delivering warm and humid air. Besides, the tube also can be made by silicone.

The heating device 3 includes a covering layer 31, a heating element 32, a bottom layer 33, a first connecting member 34, and a second connecting member 35. The covering layer 31 and the bottom layers are fabrics, wherein the covering layer 31 is preferably formed by weaving fibers of heat insulation. In this embodiment, the heating element 32 is an electro-thermal wire continuously folded in the plane between the covering layer 31 and the bottom layer 33. The first connecting member 34 and the second connecting member 35 are two corresponding chains, which can be combined to form a zipper. The first connecting member 34 is disposed on one lateral side of the pile of the covering layer 31 and the bottom layer 33 while the second connecting member 35 is disposed on the other lateral side. Besides, the first 34 and the second 35 connecting members can respectively be male and female buckles for connecting the two lateral sides of the pile of the covering layer 31 and the bottom layer 33, so that the heating device 3 is formed a same tube shape for wrapping the outer peripheries of the tube 2.

The heating device 3 wraps the outer peripheries of the tube 2 and the heating element 32 of the heating device 3 is longitudinally arranged on the outer peripheries of the tube 2 for heating the warm and humid air in the tube 2 via the bottom layer 33.

In practice, the pile of the covering layer 31 and the bottom layer 33 of the heating device 3 is provided further with a transparent cover 36. The transparent cover 36 is in bar shape and parallel to the axis of the tube 2 for examining the delivered warm and humid air at any time.

In practice, one end of a temperature controller 4 is connected with the heating element 32 of the heating device 3 while the other end of the temperature controller 4 is connected with a power supply (not shown in figures), so that the heater 92 can be controlled by the temperature controller 4 for delivering warm and humid air with appropriate temperature to patients.

Thereby, the present invention has the following advantages:

-   -   1. By the present invention, temperature of the warm and humid         air in the tube delivered to patients can be maintained         effectively.     -   2. By the design of the present invention, when the tube is         damaged, it can be directly replaced by detaching the heating         device, the cost is by consequence reduced.     -   3. By the present invention, the delivering status of the warm         and humid air can be examined at ant time to guarantee quality         of treatment.     -   4. By the present invention, it is easy to detach the tube from         the heating device, so that it will save much time during         disinfection procedures.     -   5. By the present invention, the problem of water by the vapor         condensation disposed around the outer peripheries of the tube         of a conventional air delivery pipe can be overcome.     -   6. By the present invention, warm and humid air with stable         temperature can be provided without elevating the temperature of         the warm and humid air in the container to compensate difference         temperature during delivery, so that the consumption of sterile         water is reduced, and the cost is reduced correspondingly.

Accordingly, as disclosed in the above description and attached drawings, the present invention can provide an air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus, by which the temperature of the warm and humid air in the tube can be maintained, the consumption of the sterile water reduced, the heating device detachable, and the cost reduced. It is new and can be put into industrial use.

It should be understood that different modifications and variations could be made from the disclosures disclosed above by the people familiar in the art, without departing the spirit of the present invention. 

1. An air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus, comprising: a tube, for delivering warm and humid air; and a heating device, including a first connecting member and a second connecting member, where the first connecting member is disposed at one lateral side of the heating device while the second connecting member is disposed at another lateral side of the heating device for attaching the heating device to the outer peripheries of the tube, and the heating device has a heating element therein for heating air inside the tube.
 2. The air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connecting member and the second connecting member are combined to form a zipper.
 3. The air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connecting member and the second connecting member are combined to form a fastening belt.
 4. The air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating device is further provided with a transparent cover thereon for examining the delivered air in the tube.
 5. The air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating element is disposed between a covering layer and a bottom layer.
 6. The air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating element is an electro-thermal wire.
 7. The air delivery pipe of a humidifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further includes a temperature controller, which is connected with the heating element. 